Phyllis Chesler (born October 1, 1940) is an American writer, psychotherapist, and professor emeritus of psychology and women's studies at the College of Staten Island (CUNY). She is known as a leading feminist psychologist, and is the author of thirteen books, including the best-seller, Women and Madness.

Overview

She was born in the state of New York to Jewish immigrants. She has organized political, legal, religious, and human rights campaigns in the United States and in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

Chesler taught one of the first women's studies classes at Richmond College in New York during the 1969-1970 school year. During the same year, she co-founded the Association for Women in Psychology. During her time at Richmond College, she established many services for her female students. Because of her, self-defense classes, a rape crisis center, and a child center were developed.

She is co-founder of The National Women's Health Network, and is a charter member of the Women's Forum. She was an editor-at-large and columnist for On The Issues magazine.

Chesler has recently become known for her campaign against New anti-Semitism, which she has written about in her book The New Anti-Semitism: The Current Crisis and What We Must Do About It (2003). The book was strongly criticized by Norman G. Finkelstein, who argues that Chesler "barely disguises that alleging a new anti-Semitism is simply the pretext for defending Israel". Finkelstein notes that Chesler devotes eight pages to "A Brief History of Arab Attacks against Israel, 1908-1970s", but says nothing concerning Israel's attacks against Arabs. Finkelstein, Norman G. Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History, University of California Press, 2005, p. 34. Finkelstein also lists apparent factual errors in Chesler's book, including her reference to "Arab lands such as ... India" and her description of Buddhist Aung San Suu Kyi as a Muslim intellectual. Finkelstein 2005, p. 51. On page 113 of The New Anti-Semitism: The Current Crisis and What We Must Do About It Chesler states "More Jewish Arabs fled from Arab lands such as Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Syria, Algeria, Morocco, and India than did Palestinians from Palestine-Israel." On page 167 she states "Jews from Arab lands (and from India and Iran) have increasingly become more dominant ... in Israel."

She currently lives in Manhattan, New York City.

Books

• Women and Madness (1972)
• Women, Money and Power (1976)
• About Men (1979)
• With Child: A Diary of Motherhood (1979)
• Mothers on Trial: The Battle for Children and Custody (1986)
• Sacred Bond: The Legacy of Baby M (1988)
• Patriarchy: Notes of an Expert Witness (1994)
• Feminist Foremothers in Women's Studies, Psychology, and Mental Health (1995)
• Letters to a Young Feminist (1997)
• Woman's Inhumanity to Woman (2002)
• Women of the Wall: Claiming Sacred Ground at Judaism's Holy Site (2002)
• The New Anti-Semitism. The Current Crisis and What We Must Do About It (2005)
• The Death of Feminism: What's Next in the Struggle For Women's Freedom (2005) ISBN 1403968985

Notes